Kashya
Kashya '''is a Khajiit Dark Brotherhood assassin from Elsweyr. Nicknamed "Mockingbird" for her uncanny talent to imitate people. Biography Early life Kashya was born to an unknown mother who supposedly died giving birth to her. According to the healer Kashya had technically been stillborn for a couple of minutes before they managed to breathe life back into her again. It's unknown whether or not her temporary state of death somehow had a long-reaching impact on her later life. Believed as a result from the complications of her birth, Kashya suffered from a strange affliction that rendered her both weakened and drowsy when exposed to sunlight. Her father was Captain Ka'rin of the Senchal Lions. The man had little love for Kashya and would actively try to spend as little time with her as possible, only preparing her three meals a day whilst he ate by himself. He referred to Kashya as having been born with "bad blood", and as such disciplined her strictly, believing that it was the only way to keep her condition in check. It's uncertain as to where his contempt for his own daughter stemmed from, but Kashya came to believe that Ka'rin held her responsible for the death of her mother and as such took out his contempt for her demise on his daughter. Whenever possible, in order to distance himself as far away from his daughter he could, he would leave Kashya in the care of an elderly Khajiit woman named Baijan. Baijan would always regard Kashya as a child or a grand-child, and treat her accordingly with kindness and make her food, using too much spice. However their relationship would become somewhat strained when Kashya pointed out that Ma'riq, Baijan's deceased mate since 20 years back, to still be present in the old Khajiit's house. While Kashya didn't know at the time that she had seen a ghost, the event had unsettled Baijan. Kashya's only friend as a child was Kiro, the son of a carpenter. The only child who tolerated her. As part of a street gang, Kiro would often be ridiculed for his relationship with Kashya, whom they regarded as strange and weird. Kashya recalls how two of them, Ra'zid, and his girlfriend Tsamba, had thrown a rock at her once. Kiro and Kashya would usually play and eventually came to share a mutual, romantic affection for each other. However, any plans the two young lovers had for the future came to an abrupt halt when Ka'rin decided that it was time for Kashya to move out, as he and Tsavirra were expecting a child. Her father had made an arrangement with an establishment for Kashya to live and work on, which unbeknownst to the young girl turned out to be a brothel. Though Ka'rin claimed that her job would only consist of basic housekeeping for the Madame Ja'zira, she would eventually inherit a room from the deceased prostitute Mizah, and thus all the foul duties that came with it. The nights following the event in which she involuntarily lost her virginity, she became so traumatized by the repeated use and abuse she had to withstand on a regular basis to the point where she developed a genuine fear of being touched. The only woman at the brothel who was there for her was the older girl Malah who cared for her and comforted her. Kashya never once lost her belief in that her father would one day return to take her out of there, and occasionally daydreamed that Kiro would find her and together they would elope somewhere safe. But when the news eventually came that Captain Ka'rin had been married to Tsavirra, and was being transferred to Riverhold, it dawned on Kashya that her father had never intended to take her out of there. After yet another traumatic encounter with a client the girl had given up on life, realizing that she was going to be stuck at the brothel. Comforted and aided by Malah, she was inspired to make her escape, using a makeshift rope made out of bed sheets. Kashya made her way back home through the city streets of Senchal where she confronted the newlyweds Ka'rin and Tsavirra in their bed. Despite Ka'rin's denial of his knowledge about Kashya's predicament, she flew into a fit of rage where she brutally stabbed her father in the face and eventually cut his throat. Somewhere in her rampage she also killed her step-mother Tsavirra along with her unborn child. While Kashya waited for the guards to come and apprehend her, she was instead greeted by a black-robed Breton who presented himself as Celtian, Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood. The man offered the girl a new family who would never turn their back on her and who would always hold her dear, to which Kashya accepted. Later life Celtian took Kashya to Corinthe and the restored Dark Brotherhood sanctuary in Elsweyr. There she made herself known to the other members. And although they were always kind to her and treated her with respect, she remained wary of them, as the trauma from her time spent at the brothel had started to integrate with her personality, forcing her to become more and more reclusive. Within the Dark Brotherhood Kashya found a lot of people like her. Do'shanji, a banished warrior monk, trained her in the martial arts of the Claw-Dances. From the necromancer Laleena, within the guild, she learned how to change her appearance with the help of a glamour. Combined perfectly with her voice impressions she made herself into what could be described as the perfect imitator or doppelganger. She was also taught basic resurrection spells which she experimented on with smaller animals like rats and birds. The Argonian alchemist Spits-Her-Venom taught her all the secrets of potion- and poison-making. A twitchy Bosmer by the name of Aenlin taught her all his secrets within the art of stealth, guile, lockpicking and pickpocketing. From the Pahmar-raht twins Daro and Vashirr she was taught how to master short blades, and from the archer and huntress Raavi she learned how to handle bows of various kinds. Kashya trained hard, and learned fast, eventually mastering every art and craft within the Brotherhood she came across. As a result she was considered somewhat of a prodigy in the field of assassination. She rose fast through the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, and quickly became one of their top coalition members, specifically a Silencer for Celtian, to whom she owned her loyalty and her life. By exposing a plot in which one of the Speakers intended to sell the Elsweyr sanctuary out, Kashya was tasked with bringing down the culprit, successfully assassinating her. As a reward for her services, Kashya was offered her place in the Black Hand. From childhood to adult life she learned the ways of how to end lives with blades, with arrows, with poisons, and with her bare hands. With her gift of perfectly imitating the voices of other people she quickly became a prodigy, and a name to be feared, even among other assassins. Though the Dark Brotherhood was an improvement, she couldn't find herself at rest with her new brothers and sisters. Even among them she stood out like a sore thumb. While the other assassins wished death upon others, Kashya wished death upon herself, but never had the courage to take it herself. Her fear of dying eventually turned into a fascination with the subject itself and she started to dedicate her entire life to understanding what death entailed before she would have mustered the strength to carry out the deed of suicide. The Daedra Wars Dark beginnings Kashya brutally tortures and assassinates a local thug named Andros Saxius in an unknown cellar in Senchal, for the rape and murder of syndicate leader Detritus Axium's daughter. As part of the contract she assumes Andros' identity and proceeds to murder his entire crew and boss. Later in the eve she returns to her regular table at an inn where she is approached by the priestess Lysilde who guides her to Weaver's Glade in Cyrodiil with the promises of knowledge in return for her services to a prophetic quest. Though Kashya doesn't care about prophecies, she accepts. A chance encounter in Weaver's Glade On the first day of Last Seed, Kashya arrives at Weaver's Glade. She meets up with other people summoned by the prophecy, among those Queen Nyasia al Din and her protector Scaldor, the latter constantly mocking and commenting on the Khajiit with crude remarks after presenting herself. While waiting for the arrival of Lysilde, Kashya briefly speaks to the newly arrived Shrava, a Khajiit fire mage, and meditates. When the priestess finally arrives she explains the situation and tells of their quest to pursue nine divine artifacts in order to create a substitute Amulet of Kings so that they may banish the invading forces of the Daedra. Each member present having been chosen by the Elder Scrolls to play an important role in the Daedra Wars. Though Kashya dismisses the idea of destiny and fate, she decides to go on with the group on her own accord. It is ultimately decided that the first artifact, Dibella's Rose, resides within Tenmaru, the City of Love in Elsweyr, and that they will get there by journeying from Senchal. Kashya is reluctant to go to her hometown, but has little choice but to follow. The Hellcat As soon as the remainder of the prophesied members has arrived, the newly formed Covenant ride to New Imperia with the intention ot taking a boat to Senchal. They make a brief stop at a couple of hanged Daedra worshipers whom Kashya is fascinated by. Scaldor taunts Kashya, whereas she displays her uncanny talent for mimicking the voice of other people, in this case Scaldor's. Once they have arrived at New Imperia's harbor, they come across the ship known as the Hellcat. Nyasia and the cook Helian are unknowingly disrespectful towards Bizi, an Alfiq merchant, mistaking him for a regular housecat. Kashya recalls having an Alfiq cousin, although she has never met her or even knowing her name or whereabouts. She makes a brief respectful acquaintance with Bizi while Lysilde talks with the ship's captain, Rin, about providing them with safe conduct to Senchal. The group then boards the ship as it is about to leave the docks. Kashya refuses the option to sleep together with the rest of the crew or in a cabin, fearing how needy the sailors must be, and thus decides to rest up outside on the deck. Sailing south While sailing south, Kashya sleeps for most of the time, ignoring the bickering among the other members of the Covenant to the best of her abilities. During an eve in which the crew is served fish soup, Kashya swiftly relieves a bowl from one hapless crew member and asks for a portion, much to the dismay of the sailor to whom it previously belonged. After having finished her meal, she resumes her meditation to the curiosity of captain Rin. After a brief exchange, Kashya reveals her profession as that of an assassin, to the dismay of Rin. During a sparring duel between the half-Orc, Garran, and Nyasia's second bodyguard, Baldr, the Khajiit engages in a discussion with the queen on combat techniques to the disapproval of the knight, Emile. She takes the opportunity to take note of Emile's speech patterns for her voice impressions. During their travel, Kashya performs alchemical experiments and brews her own poisons, which she then proceeds to try out on herself. While jogging around the ship to keep her muscles from tensing up, she overhears Scaldor talking to the champion of Meridia, Alvoran, about the former's sexual preferences, which causes Kashya some nausea. She narrowly dodges Alvoran once she sprints past him, and upon her second run the poison has started to work, causing her to bleed from the corners of her mouth and her nose. Alvoran takes notice and points this out, prompting her to swiftly down an antidote and explain her habits of performing experiments on herself and offers to teach Alvoran. The latter obviously declines after having heard of Kashya's macabre stories. Scaldor engages in childish name-callings with the Khajiit, insisting on the idea that she is a necrophiliac, which Kashya debunks. Meanwhile, the Hellcat makes a brief stop at Bravil to pay a toll. On the 10th day of Last Seed, Emile kills the sailor, Kizmar, in one of his paranoid outbursts. The whole crew and the Covenant gathers, while captain Rin chastises and imprisons Emile. Kashya takes note of the shade drifting from the lifeless corpse of the sailor. While Lysilde negotiates with a livid Rin, Kashya sneaks downstairs to where the crew keeps Kizmar's body, providing him with both a soliloquy and a eulogy as she talks to his spirit before it departs in peace. Back in Senchal Kashya is evidently displeased about having to return to her hometown and thus meditates and trains for most of the journey. As the Hellcat reaches Senchal on the 15th of Last Seed, she is approached by Lysilde who insists on speaking to her in private. As soon as the ship docks, the Khajiit assassin mysteriously departs the ship for reasons unknown while the Senchal Lions, the city guard, apprehends Emile. Personality and traits Kashya is determined, quiet, observant, and nihilistic to the point where she has no fear or care for her own life, bordering to near-suicidal tendencies. She is always curious and eager to learn new ways and methods to end lives and as such often come off as apathetic or ignorant to the misery of others. She also displays a morbid fascination with death and what comes after. Kashya somehow possesses the means to see the spirits of the dead, a strange ability that has followed her ever since she was a cub. She does not fare well in direct sunlight as it makes her drowsy and weak, preferring to remain active during the night time. These traits, combined with her uncanny ghost-like appearance, has made people to more often than not mistake her for a vampire. As a result of her troubled past she has also developed a strong haphephobia and gymnophobia, the fear of being touched and of being naked, and as such easily lashes out in anger to unprovoked physical interaction like handshakes and grabbing. She also has a general distaste for establishments like brothels and the prostitution trade. Skills and abilities Apart from her imitation act, Kashya is incredibly swift, nimble and acrobatic. She is a master of blending in with crowds or disappearing into the shadows. She is gifted in the arts of alchemy and knows how to mix and brew poisons to end a man's life, or anti-toxins, to save a man's life. She also knows how to brew potions to further enhance and hone her own skills. As an assassin she is quite skilled with both short blades and short bows, carrying both a pair of kukris and a compact short bow. Even without weapons she can fend for herself well enough, having been trained in the four Claw-Dances, the Khajiit martial arts, mastering Zis Kurah, or Whispering Claw. On the side she also dabbles with basic necromancy, resurrecting small animals, yet has not come close to fully understand the secrets behind the veil of death. Appearances '''Legend of Nirn: The Daedra Wars * Part I * Part II * Part III * Part IV * Part V * Part VI * Part VII * Part VIII * Part IX * Part X * Part XI * Part XII * Part XIII * Part XIV * Part XV * Part XVI * Part XVII * Part XVIII * Part XIX * Part XX (mentioned only) * Part XXI (mentioned only) * Part XXII * Part XXIII * Part XXIV * Part XXV * Part XXVI * Part XXVII * Part XXVIII * Part XXIX * Part XXX * Part XXXI * Part XXXII * Part XXXIII * Part XXXIV * Part XXXV * Part XXXVI * Part XXXVII Category:The Daedra Wars Category:The Legend of Nirn Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Khajiit Category:Assassins